Proximal Subungual Onychomycosis Research Articles

A comprehensive review of nondermatophyte mould onychomycosis: Epidemiology, diagnosis and management.

Nondermatophyte moulds (NDMs) are widely distributed and can be detected in association with mycotic nails; however, sometimes it can be challenging to establish the role of NDMs in the pathogenesis of onychomycosis (i.e. causative vs. contaminant). In studies where the ongoing invasive presence of NDMs is confirmed through repeat cultures, the global prevalence of NDMs in onychomycosis patients is estimated at 6.9% with the 3 most common genus being: Aspergillus, Scopulariopsis and Fusarium. NDM onychomycosis can, in many cases, appear clinically indistinguishable from dermatophyte onychomycosis. Clinical features suggestive of NDMs include proximal subungual onychomycosis with paronychia associated with Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp. and Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, as well as superficial white onychomycosis in a deep and diffused pattern associated with Aspergillus and Fusarium. Longitudinal streaks seen in patients with distal and lateral onychomycosis may serve as an additional indicator. For diagnosis, light microscopic examination should demonstrate fungal filaments consistent with an NDM with at least two independent isolations in the absence of a dermatophyte; the advent of molecular testing combined with histological assessment may serve as an alternative with improved sensitivity and turnover time. In most instances, antifungal susceptibility testing has limited value. Information on effective treatments for NDM onychomycosis is relatively scarce, unlike the situation in the study of dermatophyte onychomycosis. Terbinafine and itraconazole therapy (continuous and pulsed) appear effective to varying extents for treating onychomycosis caused by Aspergillus, Fusarium or Scopulariopsis. There is scant literature on oral treatments for Neoscytalidium.

Etiology, Clinical Spectrum, Epidemiology, New Developments in Diagnosis and Therapeutic Management of Onychomycosis: An Update

Fungal infections are recognized as an important cause of morbidity as well as mortality, especially in the immune-suppressed subjects worldwide. Onychomycosis is a sporadic fungal infection that can affect any part of the nail unit, including the matrix, bed, and plate. It is caused by a wide variety of fungi that include dermatophytes, yeasts, and non-dermatophyte moulds. Dermatophytes are the most common cause of onychomycosis among the numerous fungi. The disease is mainly sporadic and has been recorded in sexes, all age groups, in rural and urban settings, and developing and developed countries. Onychomycosis affects more than 5% of the world's population today. Distal lateral subungual onychomycosis (DLSO), white superficial onychomycosis (WSO), proximal subungual onychomycosis (PSO), endonyx onychomycosis (EO), and candidal onychomycosis are the five primary subtypes of onychomycosis. The condition can manifest itself in a variety of clinical forms, all of which impact the nails on the fingers and legs. Generalized infections involving both hands have been found on occasion. The infection in immunocompromised patient may cause a serious health problem. A plethora of factors, such as nail trauma, occlusive foot wear, and humidity may predispose to fungal nail infections. Clinical diagnosis should be supported with laboratory findings. Direct microscopic demonstration of the fungal agent in the afflicted nail using the potassium hydroxide procedure and isolation of fungi in pure culture on mycological media, such as Sabouraud dextrose agar, dermatophyte test medium, and Pal sunflower seed agar helps to confirm the diagnosis of onychomycosis. The precise morphology of fungal cultures taken from the clinical specimens of patients can be easily investigated in staining solutions, such a PHOL and Narayan. Direct microscopy in potassium hydroxide is still considered the simplest, quickest, and cheapest way to detect fungal agents in nail scrapings. Onychomycosis medications can be applied locally (amorolfine, ciclopirox, efinaconazole, tavaborole) or taken orally (fluconazole, itraconazole, terbinafine). The cure rate is increased when topical and systemic treatments are used together. Depending on the extent of nail involvement, therapy might last from 3 to 6 months or even longer. It is imperative to manage the risk factors. Hygiene is considered the best prevention strategy of onychomycosis.

Prevalence of onychomycosis in patients with diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study from a tertiary care hospital in North India.

Background Though diabetes mellitus (DM) is a well-recognised risk factor for onychomycosis (OM), the epidemiology of OM in diabetic patients remains largely unexplored, especially from the Indian subcontinent. Aims and objectives To estimate the prevalence of OM in diabetic patients, to identify and analyse risk factors, and correlate the severity of nail changes with glycemic control (HBA1c). Methods This cross-sectional, analytical study involved 300 diabetic patients. Patients with the clinical diagnosis of OM, supplanted by at least two of the four tests (KOH, culture, onychoscopy and nail histopathology) were considered cases of OM. Demographic and haematological profile was analysed using chi-square test/ Fischer's exact test. Logistic regression was applied to assess the independent risk factors. Results The prevalence of OM in DM patients was 34% (102/300) and significant risk factors included; age >60 years, male gender, closed shoes, disease duration >5 years, high BMI (>25) and lack of awareness about nail changes. Distal and lateral subungual OM (78%) was the commonest presentation followed by proximal subungual OM, superficial OM and total dystrophic OM. Correlation between HbA1c and the number of nails involved was found to be significant. Limitation As cases were recruited from a hospital setting, there could be chances of Berksonian bias. Conclusion The prevalence of OM in diabetic patients is high and the severity of nail changes correlates with HbA1C levels. It is important to diagnose OM early in order to treat and prevent complications.

Fractional CO2 laser - assisted methylene blue photodynamic therapy is a potential alternative therapy for onychomycosis in the era of antifungal resistance

BackgroundTreatment of onychomycosis is challenging by virtue of the impact of nail disfigurement, the location of the fungi within the nail and reported antifungal resistance worldwide. Light-based technologies are promising primary or adjunctive therapeutic modalities. We aimed to compare the efficacy of photodynamic therapy and fractional CO2 laser monotherapy either alone or in combination for onychomycosis. Patients and methodsThis prospective randomized comparative study was conducted on 51 onychomycosis patients divided into three groups. In group A, patients were treated using 6 photodynamic therapy sessions using methylene blue and IPL (560 to 700 nm, fluence 12 J/cm2). Group B patients were treated using 6 bimonthly fractional CO2 laser sessions (10,600 nm, 1.600 mj energy and 0.6 mm density) and group C patients were treated using 6 combined fractional CO2 laser and photodynamic therapy sessions. Patients were evaluated mycologically, dermoscopically and clinically by calculation of proximal nail diameter percentage at baseline, monthly, at the end of treatment and after a 6‐month follow‐up period post-treatment. ResultsCandida was the most commonly isolated organismin in 64.7%, 70.6% and 70.6% of the pateints in groups A, B and C, respectively. The dermoscopic findings in the total dystrophic onychomycosis was subungual hyperkeratosis in 6 patients (100%), longitudinal streaks and striae in 1 patient (16.7%). In dorsolateral subungual onychomycosis, jagged proximal edge in 31 patients (70.5%), and pigmentation in 30 patients (68.2%) were noted. In proximal subungual onychomycosis irregular matt patches were seen in 1 patient (100%). Proximal nail diameter percentage showed statistically significant improvement after treatment and 6 months follow up in the 3 studied groups. Mean increase of proximal nail diameter after treatment was highest in group C (52.94 ± 20.24), followed by group B (43.82 ± 21.03) and least in group A (35.29 ± 17.0). This difference was statistically significant (p = 0.044). Reported side effects were mild-moderate pain, discoloration and paronychia. ConclusionWe conclude that fractional CO2 laser and photodynamic monotherapy, and their combination achieve high success rates, good patient satisfaction and safety profile. Fractional CO2-assisted photodynamic therapy is associated with the highest improvement over either fractional CO2 or photodynamic therapy alone.

Epidemiology of Onychomycosis in Chinese Mainland: A 30-year Retrospective Study.

Onychomycosis was a common nail disease caused by dermatophytes, yeasts or molds. The prevalence of onychomycosis varied in different counties and it was necessary to understand the epidemiology in China. This study was conducted to investigate the epidemiology of onychomycosis in Chinese mainland in the past 30years. A 30-year systemic review was carried out by searching publications investigating the prevalence of onychomycosis in Chinese mainland from 1991 to 2020. A total of 90 articles involving more than 40,000 onychomycosis patients were enrolled in this study. The ratio of males to females was 1:1.32. Fingernail onychomycosis was found in 36.12% cases, toenail onychomycosis in 48.31%, and both fingernail and toenail onychomycosis in 15.57%. The most common clinical type of onychomycosis was distal lateral subungual onychomycosis (60.99%), followed by total dystrophic onychomycosis (18.91%), proximal subungual onychomycosis (10.19%) and superficial white onychomycosis (9.92%). Dermatophytes (60.59%) were the most frequently isolated pathogens, followed by yeasts (30.09%), molds (7.91%) and mixed infection (1.41%). The primary pathogens in dermatophytes, yeasts and molds were Trichophyton rubrum (49.93%), Candida albicans (10.99%) and Aspergillus (3.11%), respectively. Additionally, dermatophytes were more commonly affected males than females (63.69% vs. 51.57%), and mostly involved in toenail onychomycosis (75.63%). The infection of yeasts was higher in females than males (40.97% vs. 29.52%), often causing onychomycosis in fingernail than toenail (41.03% vs. 17.08%), and it was more common in warm and humid southern regions than northern area (34.07% vs. 24.41%). The proportion of the causative agents changed over time, dermatophytes, especially T. rubrum had always been the predominant pathogen, followed by yeasts and molds. The distribution of fungal pathogens varied among clinical types, gender, infection sites and geography gender.

Onychomycosis: correlation between the dermoscopic patterns and fungal culture

ObjectiveThe aim was to correlate the results of fungal investigations (Direct KOH and fungal culture) with dermoscopic findings on clinically suspected cases of onychomycosis and to evaluate dermoscope as an alternative tool in diagnosis of such cases.BackgroundOnychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nail plate or nail bed. There are four clinical types of onychomycosis: distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis (DLSOM), proximal subungual onychomycosis (PSOM), white superficial onychomycosis (WSOM), and total dystrophic onychomycosis (TDOM).Patients and methodsThis study was conducted at Menoufia University Hospital on 44 patients with a clinical diagnosis of onychomycosis. Full history taking and complete general examination were performed to detect associated systemic diseases. Dermatological examination was done to exclude any associated dermatological diseases that can affect the nails, such as psoriasis, lichen planus, alopecia areata, eczema and/or melanomas. Photography of the nail using digital camera and dermoscopic examination of the nail also were done to our patients.ResultsJagged proximal edge, longitudinal white striae and chromonychia were more frequently observed in patients with DLSOM. Straight onycholytic area was observed in 4 cases of DLSOM. Subungual hyperkeratosis was significantly associated with TDOM. Leukonychia was significantly associated with PSOM. Our results reported that, all dermoscopic patterns were significantly associated with positive fungal growth cultures.ConclusionDermoscope may be considered quick, easy, helpful, effective, and inexpensive tool for confirmation the diagnosis of clinically suspected cases of onychomycosis.

Dermoscopic Patterns of Onychomycosis: A Cross-sectional Study in One Institution

Background: Several dermoscopic findings that could be helpful in diagnosing onychomycosis have been reported in many cases, but they have not been sufficiently utilized in clinical practice. Objective: To evaluate and identify the dermoscopic findings that may assist in the accurate diagnose of onychomycosis. Methods: The study included 42 patients with clinical features suggestive of onychomycosis based on the clinical history, physical examination, dermoscopic findings, and mycological investigation. Clinical photographs and nail dermoscopy images were obtained, which were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed according to the onychomycosis classification. Results: In total, 42 representative nails were reviewed. Common dermoscopic patterns such as yellow/brown discoloration and subungual hyperkeratosis were found in our onychomycosis patients. Key findings observed in specific subtypes were distolateral subungual onychomycosis with "jagged edges with spikes", proximal subungual onychomycosis or white superficial onychomycosis with irregularly bordered homogeneous leukonychia with postinflammatory hyperpigmentation on the proximal nail fold, and fungal melanonychia with nail plate roughness and nail fold hyperkeratosis. Conclusion: Our study, along with previous studies, demonstrated dermoscopy as a quick and effective tool for diagnosing onychomycosis. In addition, periungual dermoscopic findings can be an important clue in onychomycosis diagnosis, especially in cases of fungal melanonychia and leukonychia.

A descriptive study of onychoscopic features in various subtypes of onychomycosis

BackgroundThe diagnosis of onychomycosis is usually clinical and is confirmed by 40% KOH examination. A diagnostic dilemma occurs when KOH examination is negative despite strong clinical suspicion. Dermoscopic evaluation of the nail is referred to as onychoscopy. We attempted to assess the dermoscopic findings in Onychomycosis positive with KOH examination. MethodsA cross sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care center including 122 patients with clinical suspicion of onychomycosis with KOH positivity. After assessment of risk factors and gross nail examination, onychoscopic examination was done to identify the presence of the specific features. ResultsPrimary findings of onychoscopic examination were 'spiked pattern' in 80.3% subjects, of which 95 were distal lateral subungual onychomycosis (DLSO), 8 of total dystrophic onychomycosis (TDO). True leukonychia was seen in the single patient of proximal subungual onychomycosis (PSO) and pseudoleukonychia in the single patient of white superficial onychomycosis (WSO). Distal irregular termination was observed in 23% of subjects – 8 from DLSO and in all 20 patients of TDO. 'Ruin appearance' was observed in all 20 patients of TDO, 56 patients with DLSO and not seen in other types of onychomycosis (OM). Presence of spiked pattern, Longitudinal striae, Distal irregular termination and Ruin appearance were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.001). ConclusionIn suspected onychomycosis, specific onychoscopic findings such as Spiked pattern, Longitudinal striae, Ruin appearance and Distal irregular termination can be used as supporting evidence for diagnosing onychomycosis clinically and initiating antifungal therapy if mycological testing is unavailable or negative.

Pepper and Garlic Extracts as an Alternative Treatment to Onychomycosis: AMyth or Truth?

Onychomycosis is a chronic disease ofa nail infection by the fungi. Based on the mode of nail invasion and morphologic patterns, it can be divided into 5subtypes: distal and lateral subungualonychomycosis, proximal subungualonychomycosis, superficial onychomycosis, total dystrophic onychomycosis, and endonyxsubungualonychomycosis.Common pathogens are dermatophytes, non-dermatophyte molds, and yeasts. In recent years, the development of new antifungal agents, such as allylamines and azoles, has provided good treatment options for onychomycosistherapy. There is a growing interest in the use of plant-derived compounds or alternatives to treat dermatophyte infection. Recently, a Chinese web page describing an alternative method for onychomycosis by using garlic and pepper extractswas very popular [Figure 1] [1]. They described 200 cases of onychomycosis patients treated once daily with a mixture of 100g garlic and 20g pepper extracted with 500ml acetic acid for 30 days. They claimed the cure rate was 94.05% and the effective rate was 99.88%. Although it may seem effective, the detailed exact preparation methods, the culture results, and the subtypes of the onychomycosis were not described. The treatment responses also seemed too good to be true. Martin et al. reviewed 7 controlled clinical trials performed to determine the effectiveness of plant extracts against fungal infection [2]. Among them, tea tree oil was the most thoroughly clinically tested. Solanum species and oil of bitter orange preparations were also reviewed. However, there were no researches on garlic or pepper preparation. Till now, there are still no peer-reviewed, double-blind, placebo-controlledclinical trials of garlic or pepper-based preparations used as an alternative treatment method for onychomycosis.

O uso do ácido tricloroacético para avulsão química de unhas com onicomicose. Relato de caso

Objetivo: Descrever o uso do ácido tricloroacético 90% (ATA 90%) como adjuvante químico para avulsão de unhas com onicomicose, verificando riscos e benefícios ao paciente. Método: Trata-se de um estudo tipo relato de casos, no qual participaram 26 indivíduos com hipótese diagnóstica de onicomicose. As unhas foram quantificadas, medidas, fotografadas e classificadas em onicomicose subungueal distal e onicomicose subungueal proximal, de acordo com o comprometimento da lúnula. A intervenção consistiu na avulsão mecânica da placa ungueal contaminada e aplicação do ATA 90% na placa ungueal residual, sobre o leito ungueal exposto e região periungueal. No retorno dos indivíduos, após 7 dias, foram observados os efeitos do ATA 90%. Resultados:. O ATA 90% não causou o efeito químico desejado de descolamento da placa ungueal, porém causou a descamação da pele nas áreas onde foi aplicado. A redução parcial de tamanho das unhas foi resultado da técnica de onicotomia com instrumental adequado realizado pelo podologista. Conclusão: A avulsão mecânica da unha e a descamação da pele provocada pelo ATA 90% pode beneficiar o paciente no tratamento da onicomicose melhorando a aparência local e motivando-o ao autocuidado e ao tratamento. O podologista pode auxiliar a equipe de saúde com o manejo das contaminações fúngicas e com a educação dos pacientes.

Epidemiological and diagnostic study of onychomycosis

Objective: The present study aimed to identify the epidemiological factors, determinants and diagnostic methods of onychomycosis which helps in preventing morbidity. Materials and Methods: An epidemiological and diagnostic study of patients with clinically diagnosed onychomycosis attending the DVL was undertaken and Samples were collected from the diseased nails for microscopy, culture and histopathological staining. Results: The prevalence of onychomycosis was 1.06% of total outpatient attendance, mostly in men than women, with ratio 1.12:1 with age group 51-60 years. Housewives and agriculturists constituted 32% and 16% respectively. 48% of the patients had ?1 year disease duration. Moisture (42%), tight footwear (6%), trauma (15%), excessive sweating (4%) and warmth (2%) predisposed to onychomycosis. Concurrent superficial fungal infection of skin was noted in 17% cases, in particular tinea corporis predisposing to the development of onychomycosis. Out of 100 patients, 10 were found to have diabetes. Distal lateral subungual onychomycosis (65%) was the most common pattern of onychomycosis followed by total dystrophic onychomycosis (15%), Mixed onychomycosis (12%), Proximal subungual onychomycosis (6%), Endonyx (1%) and Superficial Onychomycosis (1%). Among 100 cases, 86 showed positivity to any one of the three diagnostic methods. KOH mount demonstrated fungal elements in 55% of patients. The culture positivity rate was 41%. Histopathological PAS staining showed positivity in 71% patients. The sensitivity of KOH mount, culture and HP/PAS was 63.22%, 47.13% and 81.61% respectively. There was a very significant difference between culture and PAS staining (p=0.0001). Among the 41 culture positive cases, 15 cases (36.59%) positivity with trichophyton rubrum, followed by 19.51% positivity with Candida albicans, 17.07% positivity with Trichophyton mentagrophytes, 12.19% positivity with Aspergillus niger, 4.87% each positivity with Aspergillus flavus and Epidermophyton

Conventional Photodynamic Therapy versus Fractional CO2 Laser Assisted Photodynamic Therapy in Treatment of Onychomycosis

Abstract Background Onychomycosis is a common persistent infection of the nail unit by fungi either dermatophytes, yeasts or non-dermatophyte molds (NDMs). It is classified clinically to distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis (DLSO), superficial white onychomycosis (SWO), proximal subungual onychomycosis (PSO), candidal onychomycosis, endonyx onychomycosis and total dystrophic onychomycosis (TDO). Onychomycosis is commonly confirmed by clinical examination side by side with regular diagnostic techniques such as direct microscopy and fungal culture, which are considered the golden are considered the golden standards of diagnosis. Aim of the Work to evaluate two PDT approaches in the treatment of onychomycosis. The study will compare the effect of PDT using conventional method versus fractional CO2 assisted PDT for achievement of a clinical and mycological cure in cases of onychomycosis. Patients and Methods we conducted a right-left controlled study, on 21 patients with at least 2 toenails onychomycosis in the same patient. These patients were recruited from outpatient clinic of dermatology department at Ain Shams University Hospitals. The study was conducted during the period from December 2016 till June 2017. Twenty-one patients (4 males and 17 females) with clinical signs of toenail onychomycosis were enrolled in the study. The diagnosis was confirmed via laboratory studies. Results in our study, we found that Aspergillus species were the most common causative organisms of OM followed by and this is possibly because the non NDMs are more frequent in tropical and subtropical areas with a hot and humid climate. Conventional PDT and fractional CO2-assisted PDT have an antifungal activity as manifest by a mycological cure rate of 57.1% and 76.2% in OM cases respectively. Fractional CO2-assisted PDT was superior to conventional PDT as regard the clinical improvement in nail appearance and patient satisfaction. Conclusion non-dermatophyte molds are important and common pathogens in toenail onychomycosis. Aspergillus species play an important role as pathogens for toenail onychomycosis in Egypt.

Onychomycosis and Immunodepression

This review summarizes the most relevant information on onychomycosis in patients with immunosuppressive disorders and also compares the distinctive characteristics and approach with the general population. Onychomycosis in immunocompromised patients has a similar clinical presentation to the one in the general population, yet there are still differences. For instance, the white variety also known as mycotic leukonychia is characteristic among the group, being more common among patients with HIV/AIDS. Proximal subungual onychomycosis (PSO) and white superficial onychomycosis (WSO) have been proposed as markers of disease progression among HIV patients. Among the diabetic, onychomycosis in general has been found closely linked with complications. The prevalence of onychomycosis in immunocompromised patients is up to three times higher when compared the one described in the general population, representing an important public health problem, closely related to the patient’s quality of life. Therefore, it is important to identify the characteristic clinical presentation among this group of patients, diagnose accordingly, and initiate appropriate therapy to avoid complications and improve outcome.

Factors influencing cure rates of non-dermatophyte mold and Candida onychomycosis: analysis of outcomes in 81 patients who completed treatment.

Onychomycosis shows a poor response to current topical, oral, or device-related antifungal therapies. The aim of this study was to identify factors influencing the cure rates of non-dermatophyte mold and Candida onychomycosis. Eighty-one patients who completed treatments were divided into "cured" and "non-cured" groups. The statistical significance of differences between the two groups was studied. Male gender (P < 0.01), long duration of disease before the initiation of treatment (P < 0.02), three or more infected nails (P < 0.0002), continuous exposure to water and detergents (P < 0.05), frequent exposure to mud and soil (P < 0.01), barefoot walking (P < 0.025), concomitant diabetes and hypertension (P < 0.04), eczema (P < 0.03), and associated paronychia (P < 0.01) had negative effects on cure rates of onychomycosis. Patient age, occupation, site of illness (hand, foot or big toe), type of disease (distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis, proximal subungual onychomycosis or total dystrophic onychomycosis), pathogenic fungi, and treatment modality had no statistically significant impact on cure rate. To minimize the failure rate of antifungal therapies in the treatment of onychomycosis, patients are advised to start treatment as soon as possible, and to avoid predisposing factors such as exposure to water, detergents, mud and soil, and barefoot walking.

Fusarium onychomycosis: prevalence, clinical presentations, response to itraconazole and terbinafine pulse therapy, and 1-year follow-up in nine cases.

Invasive fusariosis is an infection with Fusarium spp. that primarily affects patients with hematologic malignancies and hematopoietic cell transplant recipients. Wounds, digital ulcers, onychomycosis, and paronychia are the typical cutaneous portals of entry. Early management of mycotic nails in immunocompromised and diabetic hosts is crucial to prevent life-threatening disease. We report nine cases of Fusarium onychomycosis (F. dimerum, n = 5; F. oxysporum, n = 3; Fusarium spp., n = 1) in immunocompetent hosts and their response to itraconazole and terbinafine pulse therapy. The patients received either itraconazole 400 mg daily or terbinafine 500 mg daily for 7 d/month; two pulses for fingernails and three pulses for toenails. Of the 68 confirmed cases of onychomycosis, eight (11.7%) were Fusarium spp.; the ninth patient was culture positive but microscopy negative and responded well to itraconazole. Distal subungual onychomycosis was the commonest clinical manifestation (seven of nine), one had proximal subungual onychomycosis, and total onychodystrophy was noted on four patients. Associated paronychia was marked on 66.7% (six of eight) patients. Itraconazole was given to six patients/25 nails and terbinafine to three patients/20 nails. All nine patients completed treatments, but one defaulted at 12 months follow-up. The efficacy parameters were clinical cure (CC) and mycological cure (MC). At month 12 after the start of treatment, the response was itraconazole CC 13 of 25 (52%)/MC four of six (66.6%) and terbinafine CC four of eight (50%)/MC one of two (50%). Recurrence was noted in four of 13 (30.7%) and eight of 13 (61.5%) cured nails in the itraconazole group within 3 and 12 months, respectively. Fusarium onychomycosis was clinically indistinguishable from other onychomycosis. Both itraconazole and terbinafine pulse therapy were only partially effective on Fusarium onychomycosis. Antifungals that are more effective should be sought.

The nondermatophyte molds: Emerging as leading cause of onychomycosis in south-east Rajasthan.

Background:Onychomycosis is a fungal disease of the nail apparatus caused by both dermatophytic and nondermatophytic strains. Treatment involves long duration antifungal therapy. However, long treatment duration without identifying the causative species may lead to resistance. Confirmation of diagnosis and speciation by culture before administering antifungal therapy is ideal.Aims:To study the clinical and epidemiological aspects of onychomycosis in Hadoti region (south-east Rajasthan) and identify various mycological strains and predisposing factors causing onychomycosis.Materials and Methods:A prospective study of clinically diagnosed cases of onychomycosis attending the outpatient Department of Dermatology in our institute conducted from June 2012 to May 2013. The clippings were subjected to potassium hydroxide (KOH) examination and culture in the appropriate medium.Results:A total of 150 cases were enrolled in our study. There were 110 males (73.33%) and 40 females (26.66%) and male to female ratio was 2.75:1. The total dystrophic onychomycosis was the most common presentation seen in the majority of cases (46%) followed by distal lateral subungual onychomycosis in 52 cases (34.6%), mixed onychomycosis in 16 cases (10.66%), superficial white onychomycosis in 11 cases (7.33%), and proximal subungual onychomycosis in 2 cases. None had the endonyx variant. Direct microscopic examination of the nail clipping mounted with 40% KOH demonstrated fungal elements in 83 (55.33%) cases. Rate of isolation of organisms by culture was 64%. Nondermatophytes were isolated in 53 (35.33%), dermatophytes in 28 (18.66%), and yeasts in 15 (10%) of cases. The most commonly isolated species was Aspergillus in 45 (30%) cases. Aspergillus flavus was more commonly isolated compared to Aspergillus niger.Conclusion:The nondermatophyte molds appear to be more common causative agents of onychomycosis compared to usual dermatophyte species in south-east Rajasthan. Our study re-emphasizes the importance of culture for diagnosis of onychomycosis in every suspected case prior to therapy.

Current clinico-mycological trends of onychopathies in Casablanca

Results A total of 88 subjects were examined (45men and 43 women); the average age were 41 years old. Abnormal appearing nails were present in 48 cases. Mycologic evidence of onychomycosis were present in 42 cases. The clinical presentation of onychomycosis was: distal and lateral subungual onychomycosis (47%); white superficial onychomycosis (5%); proximal subungual onychomycosis (21%); total dystrophic onychomycosis (26%). Toenail involvement was seen in 26 patients, fingernail in 11 patients while 5 patients had involvement of both fingernail and toenail. The various aspects noted were: Xanthonychia (19 cases), pachonychia (17 cases), onycholysis (7 cases), leuconychia (6 cases) and melanonychia (4 cases). The culture has allowed the confirmation of onychomycosis in 73.3%. Among the 16 positive dermatophytes cultures, Trichophyton rubrum was isolated in 12 cultures, Trichophyton interdigitale in 3 cultures, and Trichophyton Mentagrophyte in one case. Of the 12 non-dermatophytic cultures, Candida albicans and Candida dubliensis were isolated in 4, Candida parapilosis in 2 while Trichosporon spp., and Penicillium spp. in each one.

Fungal nail disease (Onychomycosis); Challenges and solutions

Onychomycosis (fungal nail infection) is caused by three groups of fungal pathogens namely dermatophyte molds (DM), non-DM (NDM) and yeasts. It is primarily a cosmetic problem but may induce impact on quality of life. Clinically it is characterized by fi ve morphologically distinctive types; distal lateral subungual onychomycosis (DLSO), superfi cial white onychomycosis (SWO), proximal subungual onychomycosis (PSO), and endothrix onychomycosis. It is diffi cult to detect the fungal agent responsible for a particular type of onychomycosis by clinical features alone. Mycological methods like direct demonstration of fungal agents by potassium hydroxide mount or nail plate histopathology with Periodic acid Schiff (PAS) staining are sensitive methods for the detection of pathogens. Fungal culture alone is commonly used as a standard for the detection of etiological agent. Molecular biological techniques are currently used only in research laboratories or epidemiological purposes. Therapy is generally not satisfactory. Both topical and systemic agents are used in the therapy. Topical Ciclopirix and Amorolfi ne are found to be effective but only in early and limited disease. Terbinafi ne and Itraconazole seems to be the best drugs for the systemic therapy. Clinical cure rates are generally lower than the mycological cure rates.

Onychomycosis in qassim region of saudi arabia: a clinicoaetiologic correlation.

Onychomycosis is mainly caused by dermatophytes, but yeasts and nondermatophyte molds have also been implicated, giving rise to diverse clinical presentations. The aetiological agents of the disease may show geographic variation. The aim of the present study was to isolate the causative pathogens and to correlate the various clinical patterns of onychomycosis with causative pathogens. The study population comprised 170 patients with clinical suspicion of onychomycosis. Nail samples were collected for direct microscopic examination and culture. Clinical patterns were noted and correlated with causative pathogens. Out of total 170 cases included in the study, 140 (82.4%) were positive by microscopy and 77 (45.3%) showed positive mycological findings by both microscopy and culture. The male: female ratio was 1:2.5 and the mean age was 35.29 ± 16.47 years. Fingernails were involved in 51.9%, toenails in 28.6% and both fingernails and toenails in 19.5% of the 77 patients. The clinical types noted were distal lateral subungual onychomycosis (71.4%), proximal subungual onychomycosis (10.4%), total dystrophic onychomycosis (10.4%), superficial white onychomycosis (3.9%) and mixed pattern onychomycosis (3.9%). Yeasts were the most common pathogens isolated, being found in 36 patients (46.8%) followed by nondermatophyte molds which were isolated from 28 patients (36.4%) followed by dermatophytes which were isolated from 13 patients (16.9%). Distal lateral subungual onychomycosis was the most common clinical presentation. Candida albicans, Aspergillus species and Tricophyton rubrum were the major pathogens. A single pathogen can give rise to more than one clinical type.

An evaluation of the efficacy of long pulsed Nd:YAG laser in the treatment of onychomycosis

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of long pulsed Nd:YAG laser in the treatment of onychomycosis.Methods Thirty-five patients with onychomycosis were treated by long pulsed Nd:YAG laser with a wavelength of 1064 nm,power of 30-40 J/cm2,pulse width of 35 milliseconds,diameter of light spot of 4 mm.One treatment session included 4 times of irradiation at an interval of 2 minutes.Patients were treated once a week for 4 weeks followed by once a month for 6 months.Clinical and mycological efficacy was evaluated 9 months after the beginning of treatment.Side effects were recorded and analyzed.Nails were divided into various groups according to causative fungal species,clinical phenotypes,and distribution of affected nails.Data were processed by using SPSS 17.0 software.Chi-square test was performed to compare the response and recurrence rate between these groups.Results A total of 79 nails were treated by long pulsed Nd:YAG laser in this study.At 9 months after the first treatment,clinical response was observed in 67.1％ of these nails,mycological response in 73.4％,and recurrence in 19.0％.The Trichophyton rubrum group showed a better clinical (x2 =10.913,P ＜ 0.05) and mycological response (x2=13.532,P ＜ 0.05),but a lower recurrence/reinfection rate (x2 =10.980,P ＜ 0.05) compared with the other-species group.No significant difference was observed between the Trichophyton rubrum group and Candida albicans group in the clinical and mycological response rate or recurrence/reinfection rate.The clinical response in the distal lateral subungual onychomycosis (DLSO) group was significantly poorer than that in the white superficial onychomycosis (WSO) group (x2 =11.935,P ＜ 0.05),but better than that in the proximal subungual onychomycosis (PSO)/total dystrophic onychomycosis (TDO) group (x2 =17.515,P ＜ 0.05).Increased clinical response rate was observed in the second-fifth finger nail group compared with the thumb nail/second-fifth toe nail group (x2 =13.437,P ＜ 0.05)and hallux nail group (x2 =10.595,P＜ 0.05),while no statistical difference was observed in clinical response rate between the hallux nail group and thumb nail/second-fifth toe nail group (x2 =3.030,P＞ 0.05),or in mycological response rate or recurrence/reinfection rate among the second-fifth finger nail group,thumb nail/second-fifth toe nail group and hallux nail group.There was no obvious adverse reaction but pain during the treatment.Conclusions Long pulsed Nd:YAG laser appears to be an effective and safe approach to the treatment of onychomycosis,and the treatment outcome is affected by clinical types,location,and causative fungal species of onychomycosis. Key words: Phototherapy; Onychomycosis; Treatment outcomes